The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York on 30 September 1931 at the Lyceum Theater, 149 W. 45th St. and ran for 70 performances. Charles Laughton originated the role of William Marble. Also in the cast were Elsa Lanchester and Lionel Pape. Originally produced in the "pre-code" era, five dialogue cuts to remove suggestive remarks were made for the picture's 1939 re-release. Some censors eliminated references to cyanide before allowing the showing of the movie. Turner Classic Movies airs the original uncensored version, which has been preserved by the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.
Neil Hamilton played the role of Winnie's Maureen O'Sullivan boyfriend, but all his scenes were deleted.
The £30,000 windfall equaled about $105,300 at the time, which in turn equates to nearly $2.3M in 2022.
The books William buys to read while his wife and daughter are on holiday are real books that include "Famous Poison Mysteries" by Edward H. Smyth (1927) and "Murder for Profit" by William Bolitho Ryall (1926).
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